


This Unfortunate Reality

by Kosho



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Fallout 4
Genre: Avvar Inquisitor, Corypheus Being an Asshole, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Dimension Travel, Mages, Time Travel, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 16:58:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9831425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/Kosho
Summary: Turns out pissing off someone claiming to be an Elder God is not always the best idea. Team Sarcasm, joined by Elsine's favorite spirit are caught in the crossfire, and sent hurtling not just through time as with Alexius before him, but through dimensions, winding up in Post-Apocalyptic Massachusetts. Well, if nothing else, being adaptable comes naturally to them. The real questions being: Can they return? And will the Wasteland bring out the real savage in the Inquisitor?





	1. Well...Shit.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to attempt a decent crossover for these for a bit now. I like the idea of bringing a mage to a gun fight, and...let's be honest, I feel like the fic world could use more Elsine. Pairings undecided for the time being, however, considering Cullen is *shocker!* not present in this fic, it may begin with a touch of Quiz/Solas, until I decide what to do.

“Incoming!” Varric alerted, a split second too late.

 

The ominous red glare of energy enveloped them, the world going white. No pain, that was something to celebrate, but that observation also came a bit too late, a rough impact greeting them. Color slowly seeped back into view, but the scenery was equal parts confusing and unusual. Save for a few shelters, the entire area was heavily damaged.

 

“Corypheus did this, do you think?” Dorian wondered.

 

“Look around, this doesn’t look like anything in Thedas…” Solas answered quietly.

 

“Figures. _This_ . This just brings me back to my point about Circle mages. No Circle mage could have managed _that_.” Elsine said.

 

Cole smiled, prodding a floating silvery object, mildly surprised when it seemed displeased.

 

“It wants to say something, but...she’s gone.” Cole said quietly.

 

Elsine sighed, wandering closer. She leaned forward, looking it over curiously. “What is this thing? Never seen anything like it…”

 

Extending a clawed appendage towards her, she stared blankly for a moment before offering a lazy handshake. “I am Codsworth, pride of General Atomics. Who might you be?”

 

She looked back uneasily. Possessed? Not that it bothered her of all people. Still, getting some information might be useful. It at least sounded familiar, almost like a natural Fereldan.

 

“My name is Elsine Kellendotten, daughter of Thane Kellen Wolf-Crusher. You’ve met Cole.” she began, gesturing to her companions in turn. “This is Dorian, Solas and Varric. Where is this?”

 

Straight to the point. That method had gotten results before, though who could say if it would be as well received here.

 

“Sanctuary Hills, or...what’s left of it.” he said cheerfully, as though he was simply happy enough to have someone to talk to.

 

“What is the year?” Dorian asked.

 

“2287.” he answered.

 

“Dragon?!” he asked, baffled.

 

“I don’t understand, I’m afraid.” Codsworth replied.

 

“Definitely not Thedas anymore…” Elsine muttered.

 

Further prompting revealed that this land, this Massachusetts, as he called it, had been involved in a war as well. 210 years before, which was why the land looked so damaged. Codsworth volunteered to accompany them to help explain things, on the condition they go to the Vault first, to see if the family he served was still in there. Traipsing up the hill, they stood on the elevator, Codsworth pressing a button before floating over to join them. It was loud, very loud, and the inside felt cold. Varric tugged his jacket closer to himself, Cole seemed unbothered by it, the rest raised upturned palms to cradle little wisps of fire to keep warm. Well lit, and well constructed was the initial assessment, until they saw the skeletons littering the ground. Elsine paused to pick up a few things she had found, a point of curiosity mostly. Cole, being the most perceptive, set about to attacking the giant bugs that scuttled towards them, vanishing in the shadows easily. Fastening the device she picked up around her wrist, she kept sharp eyes out for anything unusual, and honestly, it was _all_ unusual. Not until they reached the inner area did they find what they were searching for. Metal containers filled with frozen bodies, all dead. Codsworth halted in front of one, his voice distinctly sad.

 

“Oh, mum...this is just terrible…” he said.

 

Elsine peeked inside, the woman he spoke of slumped low, ice coating his skin. A hole in her head. Too big to be an arrow, or even a crossbow bolt. Not magic either, this land was already promising to be interesting. He floated in place for a moment before facing a different one, pressing frantically at the release.

 

“Sir too...but...where is Shaun?” he wondered.

 

She leaned closer, her fingers pressing to the side of the man’s neck. No pulse, crystallized ice clustered on her skin. He was dead too, but there were no visible wounds on this one. Something else killed this one, but there was no trace of energy from the ice either, again, not magic.

 

“Who is Shaun?” Solas asked curiously.

 

“Sir and Mum had a baby boy, his name is Shaun. He was with them when they left, but he’s not here now...Someone must have taken him. That’s the only explanation!” he deduced.

 

Solas turned to face her, that serious expression that said he was about to request something that was sure to get under her skin. Bracing herself, she canted her head to the side, arms crossing over her chest.

 

“Inquisitor...we should try to help. As long as we have no obvious way to get back, we might try to do what we can.” he said.

 

“Oh...Miss, _would you?_ ” Codsworth added hopefully.

 

She gave up far easier than usual, throwing her arms up. “I suppose we’re left with little choice. Perhaps we’ll find the way to undo this spell while we’re at it.”

 

“Well, any ideas on where we should start looking?” Varric asked, scratching his stubble idly.

 

“Just up the road, you’ll find a place called Concord. You might try asking someone there? I’m afraid I didn’t even know the Vault had been opened, if someone came through with a child, maybe they’ll know.” he offered.

 

Making their way back to the shelter in Sanctuary, Codsworth busied himself arranging furniture for them. Clearly he didn’t expect them to go right away, and that might be for the best, it was likely that this was the most stressful day any of them had in quite some time. Once everything was set up as best as could be hoped for, he scrounged around for food, humming to himself.

 

“There’s a bed in the other room, I daresay it won’t see any use from the family...if you wish to use it, please do.” he told them.

 

“Might be a nice base of operations.” Varric mused. “Needs some work, but it’s a start.”

 

Elsine picked at the food she was given, not entirely sure what it was. It was sweet though, and as much as she put on that she wasn’t liking it, there were few who hadn’t long since learned she had a fondness for all things sweet.

 

“Dorian, you and Varric can stay here. Dwarves and Vints are supposed to be good at building crap. Cole, you can stay too. Keep this one company.” she said, delegating as she had learned to as Inquisitor.

 

“What would you prefer I do?” Solas asked.

 

“Thought your thing was making sure I don’t do anything I shouldn’t? Don’t want to come with me?” she teased.

 

“If you would have my company.” he replied, smiling to himself.

 

Elsine hadn’t truly shown an interest in his observations before, and to hear that she actually wanted him to go with was a pleasant change. Then again, that also pointed to her being uneasy, a rarity for her. Very little made her uncomfortable, save for unfamiliar interaction.

 

“Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. We’ll set out in the morning.” she muttered.

 

His smile vanished, ‘morning’ for her meant before the sun had even thought to rise. Codsworth mentioned a bed, best he find it now then. Dorian was already out, on a lopsided couch, Varric dozing in the chair he sat in. Cole didn’t truly require sleep, which just left her to worry about. He sighed, she wouldn’t take well to sharing her space with him, but there wasn’t a lot of choice in the matter. Granted, she’d be just as content to sleep on the ground, it was better that she get a decent rest. He leaned in slightly, keeping his voice down.

 

“If I might have a word.” he said.

 

She followed him down the hall, finding the room easily. Glancing at him, piercing red eyes narrowed slowly.

 

“What is it now?” she wondered.

 

“The...sleeping arrangements.” he began uneasily.

 

Surprisingly, she was calmer about it than he expected. She shrugged, pointing to the bed. “Room enough for both of us. What’s the problem? I’m not going to bite.” she grinned widely. “Unless that’s what you’re after.”

 

He shook his head vehemently. “No. I just wanted to ensure you were aware of the space constraints.”

 

“Well, I’m aware.” she huffed. Crawling into the bed, her eyes went wide with surprise. “Not bad.”

 

He sat on the edge of the bed, mildly surprised by how comfortable it was. “You sleep on a bed made of stone and fur, are you really that shocked by human comforts?”

 

“Now you’re starting to sound like Cullen. It doesn’t suit you.” she growled. “Don’t make me remind you that Avvar or not, we’re not savages.”


	2. Concord

Solas woke earlier than usual, carefully prying her arm off him, slipping free of the leg she tossed over his at some point in the night. Well, never let it be said she didn’t know how to get comfortable. He glanced out into the main area, everyone else still asleep, even Codsworth was grounded, mechanical eyes shuttered closed. He felt a sudden warmth behind him, caught off guard. 

 

“Good. Looks like you’re ready to go.” she said, lacking the expected tone of sleep. She was something else entirely. Pointing to the device on her wrist, she poked at it for a few moments. “I figured out the basics of this thing. There’s a map, the place we’re heading should be just down the road across the bridge.” 

 

Solas didn’t like to pass up on the occasional retort. Not missing this gem of an opportunity, he smirked. “Since when can  _ you _ read a map?” 

 

“Keep it up. See how fast I make you eat those words.” she told him. 

 

She slid out the front door silently, and he followed, doing his best not to wake the others. At the end of the bridge, she climbed up onto the railing, walking over the broken sections. Leaping off at the end, she waited for him to catch up. They halted at the first building they came across, looking it over curiously. 

 

“What do you suppose a ‘Red Rocket’ is?” she asked. 

 

Solas gestured to the lopsided adornment nearby. “Perhaps that?” he said, unsure himself. 

 

Hard to see in the still-dark sky, a quizzical whine piercing the quiet. A dog ambled over to her, sniffing at her hand curiously. She lowered to its level, scratching affectionately behind his ears, laughing when he licked her face. “Nice to see a friendly face. I suppose you’ve lost your friends too, hm?” 

 

The dog laid his head on her knee, whining plaintively. Solas knew she had a fondness for bears, but this was perhaps the first time he had ever seen her interact with a dog, it was almost touching how kind she was. She scratched along his neck before standing up. “What do you think boy? Want to come with?”

 

Barking happily, he circled her a few times, fluffy tail wagging. He’d never tell her, not until there was no other choice, but he didn’t quite appreciate dogs in the same way, too clever for his own good. 

 

“Not a bad start, made a friend already.” she chuckled. “And I can see Concord just ahead.” 

 

The town was too quiet. Too empty. Something was off, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She cast a glance over her shoulder at him, and he nodded. This long fighting at her side, he didn’t need words to have the strategy memorized. Be ready to raise the barriers, stay on top of them, just in case. Cole’s presence in this world was enough of a hint that there were spirits here as well, and the spells said she maintained a stable connection to the land of dreams here. If her own magic wasn’t enough, at least she might be able to attract a spirit to lend some aid. Reaching for her staff, she kept her wits about her, searching for any signs of movement, Solas casting his barriers while the chance was there. The dog growled, ears pinned back aggressively, several people coming into view around the corner. If he was concerned about them, it was a fair bet they weren’t friendly. Indeed, the minute one noticed them, they all turned, rushing towards them, some manner of loud projectiles flying towards them, deflected harmlessly by the barriers. 

 

“Bastards are firin’ at us…” she hissed. The lilt of her heavy accent pronounced deeply in her anger. “I’ve got this.” 

 

She waved her staff, spun expertly in her firm hold. Just as capable without, Solas wasn’t about to argue the matter. Cracks of electrical energy split the clear morning sky, the confused enemies almost dancing to avoid the quick strikes. The stench of burnt flesh hung in the air on impact, little patches of blackened ground left where she missed. The weapons they held quickly abandoned in the frantic search for a place to hide from her hasty spells. With nowhere to run, the opposition was quickly reduced to zero, freeing them to continue the search until a voice called to them from above. 

 

“Hey! Up here!” the man called frantically. “I’ve got a group of settlers inside! The Raiders are almost through the door, please, help us!” 

 

Solas nudged her arm, refreshing the barriers. If there were more inside, it was wise to keep them up. He didn’t have to say a word for her to know he wanted to go in and help them out. If not for the fact that they might be able to help in the search for the missing kid, she might have been less agreeable. Certainly she still would have, by now used to helping those in need, however enthusiastic she felt about it. 

 

“Sure...we’ll be up in a bit.” she called back. 

 

They rushed through the door, the shouting alerting her to the positions of more enemies, frozen bursts of ice locking them in place, making them easy targets for the lightning. She chose to head lower first, a locked door blocking the path. If there was one thing that got her attention, it was something in her way. There was an odd box mounted on the wall, but the words and symbols made no sense to her, opting instead to try her luck melting the lock. Rolling pillars of smoke rose upward, her palm pressed to it, the metal spilling down the edge. The door swung open, and she stepped inside, looking around, the need for such measures not obvious to her. The dog sniffed at a glowing object, drawing her attention to it with a low whine. 

 

“Is this useful?” she asked. 

 

He barked in response, again pressing his nose to it. Elsine pulled it free, slipping it into the bag draped lazily across her shoulder. Not a mabari, but just as clever, reinforcing his concern about his continued presence, though he was content to follow without complaint for now. Going back up, they followed the broken path upward, the sounds of heavy steps signalling more of the so called ‘raiders’, barely a challenge. Elsine sighed to herself, replacing her staff on her back, clearly feeling it wasn’t necessary. A door to the right burst open, a man charging towards her recklessly, though there wasn’t a chance for him to get a hit in. Elsine hooked her foot on the back of his knee, knocking him down. She bent down, arm squeezed around his neck, jerking his head sharply to the side. The loud snap echoing through the hall, Solas taking out another that had come out of hiding while she was occupied. 

 

“Thanks.” she grunted, brushing her palms together. 

 

“Of course.” he replied, gesturing to the now open door. “Looks like we’ve found the settlers.” 

 

Solas put away his weapon, looking over the group gathered in the small room. The man who had called out to them nodded gratefully, another glancing up from a similar box to the one by the door, both staring at her. Solas cleared his throat, noting the curiosity in their expressions. 

 

“Do not be alarmed. We mean you no harm, if her appearance concerns you, I assure you this is how she always looks.” he said, smirking at the look she shot at him. 

 

“I’m Avvar, there’s nothing wrong with me. It’s your shiny head that stands out.” she countered. 

 

“You’re...what are you?” he asked nervously. “Not that we’re not grateful for the help, only that…” his words trailed off. 

 

“Ah. I see. The ears.” he said. “We are elves.” 

 

Elsine frowned at the term, though she held back from reminding him she didn’t approve. “I  _ said _ , I’m Avvar.” 

 

“Avvar are  _ mainly  _ human.” he said. “She’s an exception.” 

 

“Either way, we’re glad you showed up when you did. It’s been rough for us, most of our group was lost just getting here. We’re hoping to move somewhere safer, but...well, there’s a few more raiders holed up here...if...if it’s not asking too much, would you mind helping a little more?” he asked. “Right...manners. I’m Preston Garvey.”

 

“My name is Solas.” he said pleasantly. Nodding towards her, he saved her the trouble, “This is Elsine.” 

 

Preston gestured to the man at the box. “Sturges here has a few ideas on how to make this easier.” 

 

Sturges shook his head slowly, finally managing to call his attention back to the situation instead of the unusual appearance of their rescuers. “Right. Now there’s some power armor on the roof, jus’ needs a fusion core. Should be able to rip the minigun off the vertibird, it’ll make plowing through those raiders easy as hell.” 

 

“Problem is, the fusion core is behind a secured door.” Preston added. 

The dog sniffed at her bag, barking again. Elsine made a sound in the back of her throat, reaching for the thing he pointed out. “This thing?” 

 

“Oh wow, y’already found it. That’s great!” Sturges said. 

 

“Not sure what ‘power armor’ is, or a vertibird...but I don’t need it. “ Elsine said. 

 

“That mini-gun’ll be about 30 pounds, and it’s a good drop from the roof, might be easier…” Sturges offered uneasily. 

 

Solas gave her a serious look, knowing she was prepared to argue again that she didn’t need it, and that she was a lot stronger than he took her for, managing to stop her before she started, gently pressing at her lower back to lead her from the room. 

 

“Thank you, we’ll take care of it.” he said politely. 

 

Getting up to the roof was easy enough. The ‘power armor’ was fairly apparent when they got there. Solas took a look at it, holding out his hand for the fusion core, she passed it over, watching him put it in the back of the armor. A little more searching and it opened up, 

 

“This is not our world, Elsine. It wouldn’t hurt to learn what we can about the way things work here.” he lectured. 

 

Heaving a frustrated sigh, she held onto his arm for support, climbing into it, letting him close it up when she was in. It whirred and hissed, and she figured out quickly how to walk in it, though she made her displeasure known. 

 

“I don’t like being trapped like this. Would’ve been easier just to clear it out with magic…” she grumbled. 

 

She hunched over, stepping heavily through the opening in what she could only assume was the vertibird, gripping the weapon mounted to it. Yanking it loose easily, she approached the edge of the roof, spotting a raider on the roof across the gap. She raised the weapon, holding it steady, a burst of projectiles exploded out, just as loud as the smaller weapons the other raiders had. Riddled with holes, the raider dropped, and she grinned, immediately taking an interest in the situation. 

 

“Nevermind. This might be fun after all.” she chirped. 

 

Elsine leapt off the roof, the impact startingly loud. Solas rushed to look, not surprised to see her charging off to fire at whatever target presented itself. Well, at the very least, she hadn’t changed much at all, though her aim could be better. She stooped over one of the bodies, her head tilting curiously, picking up something he couldn’t see properly from this far. He followed the dog back inside, figuring she had matters handled well enough for him to return to the settlers to make sure they were faring alright. The group wandered down by the door, waiting for a sign that it was safe to move. Not more than ten minutes later, she burst through the door, jerking her hand back towards the path. 

 

“Let’s get goin’. Somethin’ blew up out there, not sure what it was, but it’s on fire.” she said. 

 

After a bit of discussion, the group wandered out, the still smoking corpse of some giant beast they called a ‘deathclaw’ laid out in the middle of the road. Looked like she took the time to pick it clean too, for whatever reason. Knowing her, Solas had a sneaking suspicion she had gathered the skin to touch up her clothes and the meat for food. The Avvar weren’t especially known for being picky eaters, often willing to eat the things most others skipped over. The dog rushed to greet her, bounding playfully at her heels. 

 

“Did you keep Solas out of trouble?” she asked with a chuckle. 

 

Predictably, he glared at her, the dog barking in reply. Like he ever got  _ in _ trouble in the first place. He was the one usually trying to keep her from getting into situations that would cause problems. As a group, the trip back to Sanctuary was rather uneventful, despite moving as such a considerable unit seemed bound to cause problems. Codsworth was there to greet them, offering a can of what helpfully said ‘water’ on the side. Solas opened it, waiting for her to pull the helmet off, taking a drink before he held it out to her. She took a sip, passing it back to him, eyeing a place she could safely dismount from the armor. 

 

Elsine figured out how to open it from the inside, stepping down slowly. Closing it back up, she set the helmet back in place, arching forward, her back cracking all the way down. The sun was already high up, Varric and Dorian wandering about, still working from the look of things. She didn’t like waiting, but that was about the only idea she had at the time, wait until the group had a chance to rest up and settle down, wait until they had a lead on the baby they were looking for, wait until they found a way back. Varric stopped next to her, looking over the armor. 

 

“Looks like you found a new toy.” he said. 

 

“Might be perfect for you, add some height.” she laughed. 

 

Gesturing to the mini-gun, he laughed. “Not a bad deal, if I get to try that out too.” 

 

“Unless we find some bolts for Bianca, you mean.” she said. 

 

“Naturally. She’d miss me if she had to sit out a fight.” he sighed, fondling her grip slowly. 

 

“I’m goin’ t’have a look around.” she excused herself, using some of the sturdier objects scattered around to reach the roof, pulling herself up. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
